Under the new guidance, fully vaccinated people should opt for outdoor seating whenever possible and try and visit stores and other places that enforce masking and social distancing.
By Charles Scudder and Catherine Marfin
Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins announced Friday evening that the county’s public health committee dropped the COVID-19 risk level down from red to orange.
The color-coded system, adopted last year to give the public a better understanding of how to safely participate in different activities based on local case rates, had been at red, or “high risk of transmission” since August when cases and hospitalizations rose dramatically due to the highly contagious delta variant of the virus.
“This does not change orders or requirements, but rather opens up the possibility for some people to engage in a broader group of activities deemed safer by doctors,” Jenkins said in a written statement.
Jenkins noted that the county saw an increase in COVID-19 cases last Halloween and encouraged people to continue wearing masks in places where social distancing isn’t possible.
Here’s what the orange level — “extreme caution” — says about safely participating in different activities:
Under the orange level, fully vaccinated people should choose outdoor seating at restaurants and bars and sit inside only when social distancing and mask wearing is enforced. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people should opt for takeout or curbside as much as possible.
Fully vaccinated people should try and go to stores, indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, religious or funeral services, museums and libraries, salons and gyms that enforce masking, social distancing and crowd control. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people should avoid most indoor venues and wear a mask as much as possible in group settings.
Fully vaccinated people can consider small group gatherings where all other members are also vaccinated, but should mask and social distance indoors. Partially or unvaccinated people should avoid all indoor settings outside the household but can consider small outdoor events with masking and social distancing.
Outdoor settings are preferred for individual, team and youth sports for fully vaccinated people, and people should mask and social distance when possible. Team and youth sports are not recommended for partially or unvaccinated people. Routine testing among team members is recommended for both groups.
About 1.3 million people in Dallas County, or 63.4% of the eligible population, have been fully vaccinated.
Case numbers have steadily dropped in the county and state since a peak in late August. The two-week average of new cases in Dallas County was 424 on Thursday, down more than 50% from the beginning of the month.
During the late-summer case surge, Jenkins issued a masking order that contradicted a statewide ban on such mandates from Gov. Greg Abbott. The legal battle over whether Jenkins’ mask order can stand continues. Justices at Texas’ 5th Court of Appeals have heard oral arguments but haven’t weighed in on the issue.
Before the threat level was lowered, Jenkins’ order required masks in Dallas County businesses and other public spaces, although there was no penalty for not following those guidelines.
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